Candyland, Chutes n Ladders, and Watches

Part of the required Tepper curriculum is to participate in a game (this is no Candyland...I would more appropriately call it a simulation) where we run our own watch business and compete for market share among other things with our classmates and teams worldwide.  After the first couple of weeks I cannot believe the intensity and work required to develop a compelling strategy.  Our program is largely collaborative and analytical in order to prepare us for the business world and this whole game is really the conglomeration of everything we have learned.  I believe the largest lesson I have gleaned so far is the importance of finding a team comprised of members whose skills complement each other and a positive culture reigns.  I am finally coming to terms with Jim Collin's advice to "get the right people on the bus" or sustainability is out of the question.  In my undergraduate program, I participated in a similar capstone simulation and definitely was not aware of all these regression tools and financial equations that dictate this game, but the idea was the same.  The largest contrast would be the international cultural twist that is so much more challenging from a managment and strategy perspective.

This whole game has helped me to appreciate the excitement and allure of discovery and emerging technologies.  I prefer working in a more sexy industry where the question is not how to differentiate but how to educate and find gaps in customer preferences and needs.  Perhaps it is my entrepreneurial interpretation of business that drives me to want to transform our watch company into an entirely different concept and industry just to avoid the trite nature of the business.  I do believe that some of the least desired and trying activities are those we learn the most from, however, so I do see value.  This whole game is a fantastic learning experience; yet, imagine if we extrapolated this concept into our community and used this same technique to change a real business in need.  That's when I think things would start to get exciting.